Drain valve for laundry tubs



Nov. 15, 1949 e. w. ELLWANGER ET AL 2,438,008

DRAIN VALVE FOR LAUNDRY TUB'S Filed Jan. 2, 1947 m N N E A a Vw W A f WT Mp R m 0W G6 7 1 ww qwml= w s ave J I l/ffyg J. i N m 7. 4 3

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 15, 1949 DBAIlI VALVE FOR LAUNDRY TUBS George W. Ellwanger and Gomer T. Layton, Richmond, Calif.

' 7 Application January 2, 1947, Serial No. 719,856

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to drain valves for laundry tubs, or 'so-called stationary tubs which are usually made in pairs with a central partition or dividing wall, and generally constructed of cement.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved drain valve arrangementfor such tubs which may be manipulated from the top of the tubs to avoid the common necessity of the person doing the washing of feeling around in the hot soap water under the clothes to find the ordinary stoppers usually supplied with such tubs.

One feature of the invention is to provide such a drain valve for manipulating from above the water which will preferably drain either tub separately, or both together, or close off both.

Another feature is to provide such a valve which will preferably indicate on top which tub or tubs are being drained or closed.

Another feature is to provide a construction adapted for embedding or moulding into the cement walls of the tubs during their manufacture.

Another feature is to provide a structure in which the valve itself may readily be removed for examination, replacement, or cleaning out if required.

Another feature is to provide a spring seated valve, and one which will cut off any lint or ravelings which'might work through the protecting screens.

Still another feature is the provision for overflow from both tubs, in a unitary embeddin structure.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a central vertical cross section of one of our improved drain valves shown cast in place or embedded in the cement bod of a pair of cement laundry tubs.

- Fig. 2 is a cross section of the valve rod connection to the valve taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross section of the valve plug showing its hollow form and its ports.

In further detail, the drawing shows at I the rear wall of the tubs, the bottom wall 2, and the central partition wall 3.

Shown embedded in the cement structure is a bottom plate 4 provided with spaced tubular risers 5 to form a drain opening for each tub on opposite sides of the partition or dividing wall 3,

and which risers are preferably fitted with detachable screen disks 5 in any'manner desired, but here shown as threaded in place. These screens are of course not put in until'the tubs are entirely finished.

Permanently secured to plate 4 is a vertically extending tube or pipe I which may be of plain round cross section from end to end, tho we prefer to flatten it somewhat for the major portion of its length as indicated at I so as to maintain more cement about it without unduly thickening the central wall 3 of the tubs, or locally increasing its thickness in the vicinity of the tube 1.

Tube 1 is preferably permanently secured at its lower end to plate 4 as by screwing or forcing it within an upwardly projecting flange 8 on plate 4 and welding it as at 9.

A pair of oppositely directed overflow nipples or short tubes ID are permanently welded into opposite sides of tube! at the highest desired water level so as to freely take the overflow from either or both tubs at all times. These overflow nipples or ducts are of course cast in place with tube 1. v

Within vertical tube "I is a valve stem rod II which carries a hollow rotary plug valve l2 at its lower end, and a manipulating handle l3 at its upper end, to be more fully described further on.

The valve [2 is a hollow conicalshell seated within a complementally formed a housing I4 which is secured to the lower side of bottom plate 4 as by nuts l5 screwed to projecting studs 5 which are each permanently secured to the bottom plate as by welding l1 and which may be rough and overhang a boss l8 formed on the plate so as to provide a projecting portion I9 to interlock in the cement. r r

A suitable gasket 20 may be interposed between the housing and the bottom plate to make a tight joint.

Valve housing I4 is provided with downwardly curved ducts 2| leading from the drain risers 5 to the valve [2 and there shaped to substantially coincide with the shape of the valve ports 22,23, 24, when the valve isturned to drain the tubs, and the edges of the valve ports are preferably sharpened as indicated at 25 so as to cut off any ravelings which may extend through the ports when the valve is turned.

, The valve ports are arranged in such a manner that either tub may be drained separately, or both together, or both shut off, and the handle l3 at the upper end of the valve rod may be provided with a pointer 26 to indicate the position of the valve below, or the handle I3 itself may be set at the proper angle with respect to the valve to function as the indicator to show which tub is draining or shut off.

In order to hold the handle and valve in fixed relation, any suitable means may be used as well understood by mechanics, but here shown as by soldering or pinning the handle to the valve rod as at 21 and locking the valve to the lower end of the rod in a definite position, and which is assured in a simple manner as shown in Fig. 1 wherein a special collar 28 is soldered or pinned to the rod just above the valve spider arms 29,

and which collar is provided with difiierentsize.

or differently positioned driving lugs 30 30' projecting into complemental recesses formed.- in the hub 29' of the spider, and with the lower end of the rod extending through a bore in the hub and secured by a tight fitting nut 42 or suitable lock nut. By this means the valve body l2 may easily be applied or removed from below the tubs after the housing l4 has been removed, and the valve will only fit in a predetermined angular relation to the handle at the upper end of the rod, or other indicator or detent desired to be used at the upper end to indicate which tub or tubs are draining or shut off.

The lower end of the housing is here shown extended as a pipe end externally threaded as atv to receive any desired drain pipe extension ortrap connection as may be required, but manifestly this outlet connection may be of any form to meet any plumbing requirement.

At the upper end of the rod, just above the overflow ducts llla collar 32 is secured to the rod to receive the thrust of a coiled compression spring 33 which reacts at its upper end against a hub 34 of a plate 35 and which hub forms a bearing for the rod. Plate 35 is detachably secured (as by screws 38) to a cap or anchor plate 36 cast in place or otherwise firmly or permanently secured to the upper edge of the tub partition wall and back wall if desired, and preferably formedwith downwardly extending flanges 36' embracing the outer sides of the walls and interlocking therewith as indicated at 31 so as to reinforce the cement structure at that point against any accidental sharp blow against the handle l3 which might tend to crack the cement.

The coils. of spring 33 are preferably substantially closed when in operating position as shown in the drawing, to prevent valve l2 from being lifted from its seat to allow any grit to get between the valve and its seat, yet the valve is always resiliently urged downward to an even snug fit.

Driving collar 28 with its lugs 30, 30' is of a size enabling it to be withdrawn upward with H after valve l2 has been removed from its lower end, and upper bearing plate 35 has been released from the cap plate 36 by removal. of screws 38, as the bearing plate 35, spring 33, collar 32, and driving collar 28, all come out with rod H and its handle [3 as a unit. This makes for simplicity in installing or removal of these parts.

Of course the working parts and the housing are all left off when the tube 1 and its attached bottom plate 4, and cap plate 35 are cast in place during the manufacture of the tubs, and the various pipe and duct openings are greased and plugged with corks or wood to prevent the soft cement from entering.

Pointer 26 may cooperate with suitable marks or small ridges 39 on plate 35, or a ball or detent as indicated at 40 may be used to click into suitably spaced depressions M in plate 35 to indicate the various positions of the valve setting with respect to the two tubs as previously explained.

Having thus described our improved drain valve for laundry tubs and the manner of its operation, what we claim is:

1. In a pair of laundry'tubs separated by a dividing wall, a drain valve adjacent the bottom of the tubs, a separate drain duct from thebottom of each tub directed through said valve, and manually operated means located adjacent the top of the: tubs for operating the valve, including a valve rod extending vertically from the valve within said dividing wall, and a handle secured to the upper end of the rod above said wall, a tube surrounding the valve rod positioned within the dividing wall, and a bottom plate secured to the lower end of the tube permanently secured into the bottom wall of the tubs, said bottom plate.

provided with drainage nipples opening at the inside of the tubs respectively, said valve when in place being positioned below said bottom plate, and a valve housing detachably secured to said bottom plate enclosing said valve forming a seat therefor and provided with drainage ducts extending from said nipples to said valve, and said housing also formed with a drain outlet connection from said valve.

2. In a pair of laundry tubs separated by a dividing wall formed integrallytherewith, a tube vertically embedded within the substance of said wall and provided with overflow openings to both tubs, a plate permanently secured to the lower end of the tube extending laterally thereof at the underside of the tubs and provided with a pair of spaced drainage nipples extending through the bottom of the tubs respectively, the upper end of said tube extending to. the top of said wall and both ends being open, discharge valve means secured to the underside of said plate formed to receive discharge from both said drainage nipples, and including a rotary valve for selectively shutting off the flow from said nipples, and a rod for operating, said valve ex tending vertically through said tube provided with a handle above the top of said tubs.

GEORGE W. ELLWANGER. GOMER T. LAYTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 499,781 De Groif June 20, 1893 515,466 Denerlein Feb. 27, 1894 560,388 Barker May 19, 1896. 812,826 Connolly Feb. 20, 1906 1,553,299 Adams Sept. 15, 1925 1,666,583 Rost Apr. 17, 1928 1,894,407 Lutzky Jan. 17, 1933 2,256,891 Burman Sept. 23, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 141,525 Germany June 22, 1902 262,962 Italy Feb. 27, 1929 15,720 'Australia -1 Sept. 19, 1928 

